public service cultureCambodiadeveloping countriesvaluesethicsmotivation

Issue Date:

1-Sep-2015

Publisher:

University of SydneyFaculty of Arts and Social SciencesSchool of Social and Political SciencesGraduate School of Government

Abstract:

Despite widespread application of reform models and interventions by
intergovernmental organisations, public administration in most developing countries is
still characterised by weak institutions, patronage and institutionalised corruption.
Cambodia is an illuminating example. After decades of reform Cambodia is still
struggling to attain a public service that is loyal, motivated, professional and serviceoriented.
The central objective of this thesis is to conduct a qualitative analysis of public
service culture in Cambodia and to explore the impacts of culture on public service
delivery. In doing so, the thesis offers a systematic framework to analyse three
underlying elements of public service culture: the values, the ethics and the central
motivations of public servants and officials. Within this thesis, public service values are
defined in terms of orientation toward public and social responsibility. Public service
ethics refer to the moral standards and conduct of public servants in performing their
functions. Public service motivation refers to the willingness to join government
employment, to serve public interests and to provide effective and efficient public
services.
To operationalise the framework, the thesis uses qualitative data from 45 in-depth
interviews with personnel in the health and education departments. These two
departments are widely considered to be the providers of the nation's core public
services. Of the 45 interviews, 21 are with senior public managers and 24 are with
service providing public servants.
The thesis finds that many elements of the Khmer culture, particularly emphasis on
respect and social hierarchy, kinship preference, and the Buddhist principles of harmony
and conflict avoidance are generally not conducive to public sector reform and
development. A culture emphasising excessive deference to authority often provides barriers to effective decentralisation, which would bring services closer to the people.
Patronage networks often lead to weak public accountability. Harmony and conflict
avoidance reinforce a culture of saving face within public organisations, which can
further undermine performance-based bureaucratic practices and lead to the
undermining of merit principles.
In addition to its roles in shaping the characteristics and the operation of public
institutions, the Khmer societal culture is also reflected in individual public servants'
values, ethics and motivations. On values, public servants are mainly observed to be of
grand character, having upward accountability to their political patrons but generally
seen as having little accountability to the public they serve. In relation to the ethics of
the public service, gratitude is found to be highly valued in society and often overdone
with highly expensive gifts. Corruption is a way of life. And the central motivation to
join the public service relates to the status attached to working for the government,
which acts in effect to strengthen existing patronage networks and to divert public
resources for private gain.
The findings of the thesis are significant for both scholars and practitioners. The current
body of literature on public service culture, particularly on Cambodia, is limited in three
respects. First, little attention has been paid to the inter-relationship between societal
culture, public service institutions, and the work of public servants. Second, the
literature on culture lacks a systematic approach to understanding the characteristics and
structure of a country's public administration regime, particularly the public service.
Third, the literature has an underdeveloped use of empirical data. Public administration
reforms in practice should be implemented with thorough consideration of the local
needs and the socio-cultural challenges that stand in the way of development.

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